Why Authors Need an Active Social Media Presence: And Your Upcoming FREE Immersion: Social Media for Authors WEEK

From a Publisher’s Standpoint, Authors Need an Active Social Media Presence

Several months ago, I contacted publishers for a client of mine and the book went to auction. That means that more than one publisher wanted to publish the book and they bid, increasing the author’s advance. I couldn’t believe it.

Normally, I would have helped the author find a literary agent. However, since this author had little online presence, I didn’t think I could find an agent (I expected the anticipated advance would be too small to warrant an agent’s investment in time).

I was right and I was wrong. Since the book went to auction, I was able to negotiate a more sizeable advance than I initially expected.

But the publisher wanted one promise: that the author would focus on her social media presence, which was negligible to start with.

Why? Why is a significant Social Media presence so important for authors? Why was it the one thing the publisher mentioned and wanted to address with this author?

Why You Need an Active Social Media Presence as an Author

1. The people who feel a connection with you are much more likely to buy and recommend your book than people who have never heard of you before.
2. Journalists, bloggers and radio and TV producers are on social media looking for experts to interview for their pieces and shows. Many, if not most, of them find their experts originally through social media.
3. Influencers are on social media. These are the people who connect to your target audience–the therapist who will recommend your book to a client, the manager who will buy your business book in bulk for his or her entire team, the HR director who will bring you in to train employees.
4. Books gain viral support by word of mouth recommendations and more and more, people get their recommendations on social media.
5. Goodreads reviews, Amazon reviews, blog posts, interviews and more can all be shared on social media, getting additional traction for your book.
6. Through social media, you can serve a growing community.
7. As an author on social media, you don’t just reach the people you know, but the people who know them.

[bctt tweet=”My Gift To You: Social Media for Authors Week ” username=”LisaTener”]

Most aspiring authors who come to me are experts in their fields, but most of them start with minimal online presence.

I know that some lessons in social media would have a huge impact on helping them (is that you?) get started on developing an online presence. It can also help you decide where to focus your efforts.

So, I decided to offer a free 3-day course via my blog.

The free training begins the day after Labor Day, Tuesday, September 6.

While You’re Waiting: Your First Few Lessons on Social Media for Authors

Here are a few blog posts that show the power of social media to radically boost a book’s sales, generate publicity, grow your mailing list and garner invitations as a speaker, trainer or consultant.

• 5 Fresh Ways Authors Use Social Media: While written in 2015, these innovative strategies are as relevant and effective today as they were last year.
• Social Media Tips from a Busy Surgeon: Diane Radford, MD has been influential in using social media to spread
• 8 Social Media Tips to Get Noticed by Publishers: Yes, many of these tips were used by my clients and resulted in book deals. In fact, in some cases the authors were contacted directly by publishers and not the other way around!

The client I mentioned in the first paragraph worked with a colleague I introduced her to (whom I promise to introduce you to during Social Media for Authors Week) and, within three months, she went from zero to 3,000 engaged followers on Twitter. Less than a year from starting, she has over 8,200 engaged followers and is seen as a thought leader in her field.

I hope you’ll join me for Social Media for Authors Week, where you’ll meet my mentors in the social media field: Digital Media Strategists Rusty Shelton (who will share his best Twitter tips for newbies and regular tweeters alike) , Frances Caballo (who will share her Goodreads Secrets–since Forbes called Goodreads “the most important site on the internet) and Sara Pence, whose guest posting strategies got me opportunities on Writer’s Digest; Live, Write, Thrive; and The Procrastiwriter, among others.

So, mark your calendar for September 6- 8 to read these exciting, potentially career-changing interviews on my blog! I’ll also send out a newsletter on September 8 with links to the three interviews.

Meantime, feel free to ask your Social Media questions, or share a social media tip that’s worked for you, as a comment below.